Part of traveling is dealing with the unexpected. Sometimes the airline you’re flying mysteriously moves your flight a day later. Others, your first flight arrives late, making you miss your connection. That’s how Ben and I ended up with an unexpected day in Istanbul. While it’s totally ok to panic should such a situation arise, it’s always a good idea to follow that initial panic up with a plan of action. Here’s my guide to making the best of an unplanned stopover, featuring some general tips along with some Istanbul specific ones. (Spoiler alert: we didn’t have a terrible time. See photo below.)
Cry a little (or a lot)
Ok – this step isn’t totally necessary, but it’s definitely acceptable. Getting stuck in a foreign city that you’re not prepared for can be incredibly frustrating. Especially if you’re traveling for something time sensitive. But chances are your only options are to either make the best of it or have a horrible time and let that set the tone for your entire trip. I know which I prefer. So cry, freak out or hyperventilate, but then start figuring out the logistics of your situation.
Iron out essential details
Will you need a place to stay overnight? Ask an airline representative if they can make complimentary arrangements for you. Then email or call any company you’ve got reservations with at your actual destination and let them know what’s happened. Working in tourism, they’re probably used to this sort of thing and can help you tweak your schedule and reservations accordingly. Now is also a good time to check your credit card benefits. If you’ve got a travel-minded credit card, they may have certain protections in place for situations like this that’ll cover any charges you incur (within reason) on your impromptu stopover.
Post on social media
Chances are you know somebody who’s been to the city you’re now stuck in. They might be able to make some recommendations. I posted on my Instagram story to ask friends if they had any suggestions for things to do in Istanbul, and a couple of them were all too happy to share. Of course, do a little research yourself, too. Websites like TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet and Atlas Obscura are great ways to see what cities have to offer.
Get Ready to Explore
Before you head out, you’ll want to stash any large bags at your hotel. If you don’t have access to your room all day, ask someone at the front desk if they’re able to hold onto them for you. This is also a good time to download a Google map of the city so that you can route to different destinations without internet. Finally, grab some cash. Some places aren’t big on credit cards, and this was definitely the case in Istanbul. At the very least it’s smart to have enough cash to cover cab rides to and from your hotel (assuming the places you plan on visiting aren’t within walking distance).
Befriend the Locals
Istanbul is rife with stray dogs and cats. AND YOU CAN PET THEM. An aggressively helpful local man who took us under his wing in an effort to build a rapport so that we’d buy souvenirs from his shop told us that any dogs and cats with ear tags are vaccinated and friendly. So we pet them all.
Check out the Sultanahmet District
As it turned out, almost every attraction we wanted to check out was in this one super walkable district of Istanbul. That was a welcome surprise. These were some of our favorite spots:
Hagia Sophia
This museum is a relic of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires. It’s an impressive piece of historic architecture that was used as both a mosque and a cathedral at different points in time.
Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque)
The Blue Mosque is a working mosque whose interior is covered in beautiful and ornate blue tiles. Since it’s currently used as a mosque, there are some wardrobe requirements that visitors should be aware of. Women should wear either pants or a long skirt/dress and a headscarf (which they’ll provide to anyone who doesn’t have one). Men need to be wearing pants rather than shorts. Both genders should keep their shoulders covered.
Basilica Cistern
Built in 532, this underground structure was originally used to store water. Now it’s mostly an impressive and bizarre tourist attraction that features 336 columns and several stone upside down Medusa heads.
The Spice Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar
These markets are an excellent place to grab snacks, trinkets and souvenirs. I make a point of visiting markets and bazaars whenever possible when I travel, so you’d better believe we stopped at both of these. Even if you don’t buy anything, these bazaars make for a cool and colorful experience.
Load up on Snacks
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Istanbul has great snacks. Truly excellent food can be found pretty much all over this city, so be sure to eat well while you’re there. And if this is a stopover, don’t forget to grab some to-go snacks for your next flight!
Some notable snacks include Turkish coffee, which can be used to combat hellish jet lag, Turkish delight, which is truly and honestly a goddamn delight, and baklava of every shape and flavor. If you’ve got time, stop by the spice bazaar to stock up on spices, snacks and teas. We were also told it was important to try a Turkish breakfast, so we hit up the Four Seasons for their renowned breakfast buffet. It didn’t disappoint. They also had pretty good wifi, which was helpful in planning the rest of our day.
And that, my friends, is how you turn a supremely shitty situation into an unexpectedly great day.